The Little East Blue Arc
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Summary inside. Read and review, no flames or hate, please! SPOILERS! Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

One Piece: The Little East Blue Arc

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

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><p>Summary- Several days before their encounter with "Golden Lion" Shiki, Luffy and crew have run out of rations (again), and come across a giant, fire-breathing beetle and an island where they are welcomed as guests, mostly because the first five members are from the East Blue. However, a gang of villains soon come to disturb the peace. It's up to the Straw Hats to save Little East Blue!<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

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><p>Impel Down…<p>

The world's most secure underwater prison.

One could hear the tormented the screams of the prisoners within, begging for death.

Only two were either courageous or foolish enough to break into such a facility.

To save his older brother, Portgas D. Ace, from execution, Monkey D. Luffy and his loyal wolf-dog, "White Wolf" Blizzard had breached Impel Down together.

No one had ever dared to even break into- much less escape- Impel Down…except one.

They called him "Golden Lion" Shiki, a pirate who had a huge pirate armada and fought against the legendary Gol D. Roger, otherwise known as the "Pirate King", 22 years ago.

Shiki had been locked away here in Impel Down, awaiting his death sentence, but then…one day…

It happened.

The very thing that tarnished Impel Down's reputation: Shiki escaped.

He actually cut off his own two feet, shook off his shackles, and flew away from it all. For you see, Shiki had a plan. A plan that would bring the world to its knees.

Unfortunately for him, Shiki would later find that his plan would fall apart…at the hands of a motley crew of rookies.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Let us go back in time, in the present, several days before Shiki faced this pirate crew.

XXX

**BOOP! BOOP! BOOP!**

A submarine was sailing under the waters of the Grand Line.

This sub belonged to the Amigo Pirates, a mariachi-themed pirate crew. Inside the submarine, the crew was seen feasting, and partying together without a care in the world.

However, the merriment was soon put to a stop when one of the men went up to the leaders of the crew.

"Boss Corto!" exclaimed one of the men.

"What is it, now?" questioned a husky voice.

"We've just gotten word from Big Boss Shiki!"

Upon hearing that, all music, laughter, and chatter came to a halt, and there came a slight pause.

"Finally," said a large man dressed up as a stereotypical luchador. "It's about time! Hey! Bring a Transponder Snail over here!"

"Yes, sir!"

Corto turned to a figure sitting in the shadows.

"Hey, Big Bro!" he said. "Did you hear? We did it! If we can join Shiki's armada…" he grinned, "we finally have a chance at becoming world-renowned pirates!"

There was a pause.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the strumming of guitar strings…playing a rather solemn tune.

"SHIK-SHIK-SHIK-SHIK…" snickered a voice, although it sounded more like sobbing.

The person this voice belong to was a rather tall man, dressed as a stereotypical Mexican man dressed in a poncho and had a very large sombrero over his head. He also had a triangular face with a thin mustache.

He is Largo, the captain of the Amigo Pirates and the older brother of Corto.

"Big Bro?" Corto asked. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Oh, _amore_," said Largo. "My dear little brother, Corto! I am very saddened."

"Huh?"

"If the plan of _Senor_ Shiki comes into fruition," Largo began, "the world will become a very sorrowful place. Just thinking about hearing those thousands of despairing voices…it makes me cry!" He started laughing/sobbing, again.

Corto stared at his older brother, confused and somewhat concerned.

"Here's a Transponder Snail!"

"Oh, good!" said Corto. "Put him through!"

One of the Amigo Pirates set the Transponder Snail in front of Corto, who picked it up.

"**Are you the captain of the Amigo Pirates, Mr. Largo?"**

"No," Corto answered. "I'm the vice-captain and his brother, Corto. What do you want?"

"**Very well, then. I've called to let you know that we've decided to welcome Mr. Largo and his crew into Lord Shiki's assembly…as our 51****st**** division leader."**

The crew let out surprised gasps.

"Ha-ha!" Corto laughed. "No surprise there!"

"**However…"**

"Huh?"

"**Lord Shiki needs you to fulfill a…condition for him first, in exchange."**

Largo lifted his head up.

"A condition, you say?" he said.

XXX

Meanwhile, not too far away, the _Thousand Sunny_, the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, was sailing along the Grand Line's waters.

Sanji was in the kitchen, washing dishes.

Roronoa Zoro was busy weight-training.

Franky was at the helm, steering the ship.

Nami and Nico Robin were out on deck, just enjoying each other's company.

Monkey D. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook were sitting on the rail with their fishing gear.

Blizzard , who was wearing a number 14 jersey, was sitting nearby since Sanji told him to sit there and watch them.

"Don't let them slack off," he told the wolf-dog.

The reason they were fishing was because, once again, the crew was out of rations. Since it was their fault, Sanji had Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook go fishing until they caught something.

Unfortunately, they hadn't gotten even a nibble.

"Nothing, huh?" Chopper asked.

"I guess not," Brook said.

Usopp heaved an exasperated sigh.

"I'm SO hungry!" Luffy whined.

**GRRRRUUUUUMMBLE~!** His tummy, which was swollen twice its regular size, let out a rumble in agreement.

"That pot belly of yours sure seems to say otherwise," said Usopp, glaring at Luffy's paunch.

**YAAAAAAAAWWN!** Blizzard let out a big, lazy yawn.

"How long has it been since we ate anything?" Luffy asked, rubbing his tummy.

"About three days ago," Chopper replied.

"What?" Luffy asked. "We went THAT long without eating?"

"We've been having parties every day, lately," Chopper explained, "and because of that, our stomachs have expanded, so we need to eat more food to be satisfied."

"You're right," Brook said as he brushed a hand against his cheek bones. "It feels like my bones are getting bigger than these days."

_In your dreams, maybe,_ Blizzard thought.

**YAAAAAAAWWN~!** He let out another lazy yawn.

Just then, Sanji approached.

"So how's it going, guys?" he asked. "Catch anything yet?"

"Nope," Usopp answered. "Nothing so far."

"Not even a nibble," Luffy added.

"We're totally outta food, guys!" Sanji said. "If you don't catch even one little thing, then no food for you!"

"WHAT~?" the fishing quarter cried.

"Don't 'what' me!" Sanji spat. "I told you that it was a bad idea to have a party before we got to the next island, but no~! You guys just had to do it!"

_Flashback, 3 nights ago_

Luffy, with a stick of meat and a big pot belly (though not as big as it is presently), Usopp, Chopper, who had chopsticks in his nose, Brook, playing his violin, and a drunken Blizzard were hooked in each other's grasp.

"Party! Party! Party!" they chanted.

_**ARROOOOOOO~!**_ Blizzard howled, drunkenly.

_Flashback end_

"Is that how it went?" Luffy asked.

Usopp chuckled nervously.

"You idiots don't even remember?" Sanji growled.

_Well, I certainly do,_ Blizzard thought. _My head still hurts a little from Luffy giving me all that damn booze!_

Suddenly, Brook felt his fishing rod move. Looking down, the skeleton saw his line twitch…and then, something pulled at it!

Brook gasped and pulled at it his rod.

"I've got a bite!" he exclaimed. "I've got a bite!"

"AAAAH!" Usopp and Luffy yelped before they grabbed Brook's rod and began to assist him.

"Way to go, Brook!" Usopp exclaimed.

As the three struggled to reel in whatever was on the line, they saw a huge silhouette beneath the water's surface.

"Did you see that?" Usopp asked. "It's freaking huge!"

"All right!" Luffy cheered. "You hear that, tummy? You'll be full, soon!"

**RRRUUUMMBLE~!** His stomach seemed to growl in excitement.

"Reel that fish in, even if it kills you!" cried Sanji.

"Hang in there!" Chopper cheered. "You've almost got it!"

Blizzard heaved a sigh before he got up and walked up to the upper deck where Franky was. Normally, he didn't like being anywhere the shipwright was, but he needed the quiet.

_How's a cranky wolf-dog to get any sleep at all with this racket?_ he thought as he flopped down in the shade behind Franky, who was whistling to himself.

Nami and Robin were just sitting at their little table, watching the boys.

"Looks like they're having their fun," Nami thought.

Robin just chuckled.

Just then, Blizzard's ears twitched, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of wings, beating at 50 times a second.

_The hell…?_ Blizzard thought. _What is that?_

Franky gasped, suddenly, and Zoro also paused in his training.

Back down on the deck, Luffy, Usopp, and Brook had nearly reeled in the fish.

"Here…it…comes!" they cried.

**SPLASH!** A huge fish came out of the water, and not just any fish: a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna!

Sanji gasped. He hadn't' seen such a huge fish since he was in Loguetown!

_It…it can't be!_ he thought.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

**WOOF! WOOF! WOOF-WOOF!**

Everyone looked up upon hearing Franky's yelling and Blizzard's barking.

The reason why was because out of nowhere, a huge, shadowy creature came flying at the ship through the air.

"What the hell?" Nami exclaimed.

"W…what is that?"

Luffy, Usopp, and Brook had pulled the fish up with so much force, they saw that they had sent the fish flying into the air…to be caught by a huge horned beetle!

**CHOMP!** The beetle caught the fish in its sharp teeth before it flew away.

"That was…!" Franky stammered.

"A giant beetle…!" Nami concluded in shock.

"Our fish…" Chopper whispered.

"HE ATE IT~!" Brook finished.

"SO COOL~!" Usopp and Luffy exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

_Are you kidding?_ Blizzard thought.

XXX

Standing on a cliff on an island nearby, someone had spotted the _Sunny_ via spyglass.

That someone was a little brown-haired girl wearing a Marine uniform that was way too big for her.

"That's…a pirate ship!" the girl said. "Damn them!"

_Boss…_ she thought. _Kill them!_

XXX

The beetle let out a ferocious roar as it flew up, up, up towards the sun, and then dive down and make a beeline for the _Sunny_!

"On your toes!" Robin said. "Here it comes again!"

"It's coming in fast!" Sanji cried.

"HIT THE DECK!" Nami yelled.

The Straw Hats ducked down as soon as the beetle came swooping at them until it flew back up, again.

"Damn," Sanji cursed. "That's one big beetle!"

Luffy, his pot belly having gone down, felt his spine tingling with excitement.

"I wanna ride on him!" he exclaimed.

"Are you outta your mind, Luffy?" questioned Chopper.

Luffy ran off to get to a higher place.

"Hey, Usopp!" he called. "Help me catch him!"

"You got it," said Usopp, who was now equipped with his bug catcher net and tackle.

"Where'd you get that from?" Chopper asked, eyes bugging.

The beetle came diving back towards the _Sunny_, again, but Franky was ready for it. He pulled out his connector and aim his hands at the beastly bug.

"There's no way in hell I'll let you destroy this ship!" the cyborg declared. "Coup de VENT!"

**BAM!** Franky fired a shot of air at the beetle…but it just flew out of the cloud of dust without a scratch on it!

"Franky's attack didn't work?" Sanji questioned.

"No way!" Franky said.

_It's his skin,_ thought Blizzard. _It's too hard for physical attacks to hit._

"Leave it to me!" Luffy proclaimed.

**WROING!** He stretched his arm, grabbed onto the yard arm of the mizzenmast and jumped up, prepared to face the beetle, head-on.

"Okay, you big beetle," Luffy said. "Come and get some!"

The beetle came flying toward Luffy, who stretched his arms back.

"Gum-Gum…!"

All of a sudden, the beetle began to flash a deep red, and then, **FWOOOSH!** A huge ball of flame came flying towards Luffy from the beetle's mouth.

"Ah!" Luffy cried.

_LUFFY!_ Blizzard shouted in his head.

"BAZOOKA!"

**POW!** Luffy laid a hit, dead center in the beetle's thorax.

XXX

On her little lookout, the girl could see the fight taking place.

"They…actually managed to hit Boss?" she said.

XXX

The beetle shook it head to relieve itself of the disorientation. Now it was really made. Its skin began to flash red again before it flew at the ship, once more.

"The beetle!" Sanji said. "It breathes fire, too?"

"He's gonna roast the _Sunny_!" Franky added.

"Hey, Luffy!" Chopper called. "Are you all right, up there?"

Up on the mast, Luffy's body and clothes only suffered minor burns, but his body was shaking.

"That beetle," he said. "Not only is he huge, but he can breathe fire, too." He lifted his head up, revealing his sparkling eyes. "HOW AWESOME IS THAT~?"

_You've GOT to be kidding,_ Blizzard thought in disbelief.

"Looks like he's okay," said Sanji.

"I guess so," Chopper said.

"Okay, guys!" Luffy said. "Looks like we're gonna have a new crew member in a few minutes!"

"ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND?" the Straw Hats questioned. "NO WAY!"

_HE'S CRAZY!_ Blizzard thought.

Luffy just laughed, turned to face the beetle, and said, "Okay, you big beetle! I want you to join m-"

Before Luffy could finish, **BAM!** The beetle knocked him off of his feet and towards the deck. However, Luffy wasn't going to give up so easily. He was going to make this beetle join his crew or die trying!

**WROING!** Luffy stretched his arm out and wrapped around the beetle's horn, meeting it up close and personal. Literally.

"Gotcha!" Luffy said with a snicker.

The beetle began to fly all around, trying to shake Luffy off, but he wouldn't let go.

XXX

The girl stood from her lookout on the cliff, sweat-dropping.

"You've got to be kidding," she muttered.

XXX

**BZZZZZZ!** The beetle started flying back toward the _Sunny_, with Luffy in tow.

"Uh…what is he doing?" Usopp asked.

"It appears that they're coming this way," Brook said, nervously.

"Hey, you're right," Usopp said. "It's getting bigger…"

"HEADS UP!" Chopper cried. "IT'S HEADING RIGHT FOR US!"

"DUCK!" Franky shouted.

"AHHHH!" Usopp screamed before he turned and ran.

Things seemed to go into slow motion, and before Usopp realized it, he had been grabbed by the beetle and was being!

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Usopp shrieked. "HELP ME~!"

_Damn it, Luffy!_ Blizzard cursed in thought. _Get back down here!_

**CHOMP!** Blizzard snapped his jaws shut, right on poor Luffy's butt.

"YOW~!" Luffy cried out in pain. "Blizzard, what the hell? Leggo!"

"Damn it, Usopp!" Sanji cursed.

"That moron!" Zoro added.

**LEAP!** The two grabbed onto the beetle's legs as it flew back to the _Sunny_, or rather, passed it, straight towards an island.

"It's taking them away," Nami said before she heaved a sigh. "Those idiots. When will they ever learn?" She then noticed the island the beetle was flying towards. "Hey! An island! Is that where the beetle lives?"

XXX

"Boss! Stop!" The girl cried. "Look out, Boss!"

"AAAHH!" Usopp yelled. "WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"

Luffy and the beetle, known as Boss, looked to the cliff-face.

_Oh, crap!_ Blizzard thought.

**KRASH!** The beetle and the Straw Hats flew right into the cliff.

XXX

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!" Luffy snickered. "You can't get away now, you giant beetle!"

After getting to higher ground, Luffy found that the beetle's horn was now stuck in the cliff wall.

"There's no point in resisting!" Luffy said. "Just give up and join my crew, already! I won't take no for an answer!"

"Boss is mine! There's no way in Hell…that he'll ever be a PIRATE!"

**CHOMP!** The little girl from earlier jumped at Luffy's back and bit down on his rubber skull.

"OW~!" Luffy cried. "GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF! STOP IT! LEMME GO! OW, OW, OW~!"

While Luffy was struggling to get the girl off, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Blizzard pull themselves up the cliff.

"That hurt…" Zoro grumbled. "Where the hell are we?"

"I didn't know there was an island like this," Sanji added.

"Yeah, and more importantly…" Usopp began.

_What the hell's going on here?_ Blizzard finished in thought, watching Luffy running around in circles with the little girl biting on his head.

"Yoko! What's going on?"

"What happened?"

Suddenly, a group of people appeared. The natives of the island, probably.

"This guy's a pirate!" The girl, known as Yoko, muffled through Luffy's hair. "Watch your backs!"

"A pirate?" The natives cried before they dropped to their knees. "Please, have mercy!"

"Stop kneeling like that!" Yoko growled.

Just then, a portly old man appeared.

"Oh!" said the old man. "You're the Straw Hat Pirates, aren't you?"

The natives soon got to their feet.

"Uh, yeah," Zoro said. "That's us."

"Hey! You're right! It is them!"

"Yeah! That guy's 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro!"

"And 'Black Leg' Sanji!"

"And 'White Wolf' Blizzard!"

"But who's the guy with the long nose?"

"HEY!"

A few seconds later, the people managed to pry Yoko off of Luffy's head.

"Lemme go!" Yoko barked as she struggled to get out of their grasp. "Let go! That guy tried to take Boss from me! Let me go so I can bite his head off!"

"Stop it, Yoko!"

"Yeah, that's enough!"

"Shut up! Let go of me!"

_Yoko?_ Blizzard repeated in thought. _I have an aunt named Yoko._

"Who are these people, anyway?" Zoro questioned.

"Hey, girl!" Luffy said. "Are you the owner of that big beetle?"

"Owner?" Yoko repeated. "Boss isn't my pet! He's my friend!"

"Your friend?" Luffy repeated. "So that beetle's on somebody else's crew, huh? Hey! Is there any chance I could have him?"

"No way!" Yoko said as she freed herself. "Over my dead body! Besides, you've already got a vicious, bloodthirsty wolf!"

_Uh, okay,_ Blizzard thought. _Hurtful!_

A pause. Luffy and Yoko were locked in a stare-down, but then…

Luffy just grinned.

"I see, now!" he said. "Fine! You can keep him!"

"Huh?" muttered Yoko.

Luffy went over to the crag, looked down to Boss, stretched his arms and grabbed him, and with little to no effort at all, he pulled the giant beetle over his head and onto higher ground.

"Boss!" Yoko cried.

Boss stood to his feet as the half-pint came to his side. His horn was bent, but other than that, he seemed fine.

"Sorry if I hurt you, beetle," Luffy said.

Boss seemed to flash red in anger.

"Please!" Yoko said. "You really think you've beaten him?"

"I didn't mean it like that," said Luffy with a laugh.

**RAAAAWRR!** Boss roared at Luffy, but then he staggered a bit.

"Boss!" cried Yoko.

"Hey, you all right?" Luffy asked.

"Back off!" Yoko snapped. "These wounds mean nothing to him! They'll heal right up overnight while he's asleep underground!"

"Ooh!" Luffy chirped. "That's pretty amazing!"

"Not just that," Yoko said, "but tomorrow is the day he'll molt!"

_Molt?_ Blizzard repeated in thought.

"Tomorrow, he'll be much bigger and stronger than he was today!" Yoko declared. "Just you wait!"

"So wait," Usopp started, "even beetles that big still molt?"

"Boss is special," said the old man. "He only molts once a month. That explains why he's so huge!"

"So, he's gonna be stronger than he is now?" Luffy asked, excitedly.

"He sure is!" Yoko answered. "What do you say to that, pirate?"

"That's awesome!" Luffy commented. "Okay! Let's you and me have a rematch, tomorrow!"

"What?" Yoko questioned.

"Tomorrow," Luffy began, "we'll prove just who's stronger."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of!" said Yoko.

**GRRAAAAAAWR!** The beetle roared at Luffy, as if to say, "Anytime, any place!"

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!" Luffy chuckled. "Looks like we've got a deal!"

_That's my Luffy,_ Blizzard thought with a smirk.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho!" The old man chortled. "He truly is an interesting young man, as they say!"

"B…Boss…!" Yoko whispered.

She had never seen him act like this, before.

XXX

Moments later, the natives were leading the Straw Hats through a huge cave.

"This way!" the old man called as he and the rest of the natives brought them to a stone bridge over a pool of water.

"This cave is huge!" Usopp said. "What do you people use it for, anyway?"

"We use it as an escape route," said one of the natives.

"Escape route?" repeated Usopp.

"Mm-hmm! This entire cave is like a maze. We can uses its vast tunnels to escape and confuse the pirates that come here!"

"We're the world champions when it comes to running away and groveling!"

"You're actually proud of that?"

Blizzard snickered.

_Watch out, Usopp,_ the wolf-dog thought. _These folks might give you a run for your money!_

"It's how we survive here in the Grand Line," said the old man. "We don't have a military force, here, and it's a remote island, so the Marines just leave us on their back burner!"

"Speaking of the Marines," said Sanji, "that little girl was wearing a Marine uniform. Why is that?"

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Luffy said.

_So did I,_ Blizzard thought.

A pause.

"Well," said the old man, "she wears it in memory of her father."

_Her father?_ Blizzard thought.

"He was a good man," the old man continued. "He couldn't just stand by and watch us be attacked by pirates, day in and day out, so one day, he separated himself from the other Marines in order to protect us from them."

"When you said, 'in memory of',…do you mean…?"

"Yes. It was five years ago. He was fighting against a crew of pirates, greatly outnumbered…and he was killed. Poor Yoko. I never saw her so sad in all my life. Three years later, Boss appeared on the island and became like our guardian angel. He and Yoko took a liking to each other almost instantly. Maybe it was because Yoko saw her father, who was so strong, in him."

As the group reached the end of the tunnel, Zoro had to stop and ask, "Are you sure it's okay for us to be here? We are pirates, after all."

"True," the old man replied, "but you pirates are completely different. Now, come! We're here!"

Luffy, as always, was the first to come running out of the cave, his laughter filing the air. He took a look around and saw some farms with windmills…

Just like back at his home island.

"Whoa!" Luffy gasped. "Windmills! They're gigantic!" He stopped and stood on a hill, which seemed to overlook the rest of the island. "Wow! It feels so high!" He smiled, enjoying the feel of the wind. "It feels like I'm at home, again…"

"Wow!" Usopp said in amazement as he, Zoro, and Sanji joined their captain's side. "At first, I thought it was a mountain, but on the other side, it's gorgeous! Just look at the view!" He took a look around and saw the many huts and buildings. "Huh. That's weird. All these buildings…they seem…familiar, somehow."

"Ho-ho-ho!" the old man chuckled. "You mean you can't see it! When we first got here, it was nothing than a deserted island, but that was only the beginning. Ever since, for some odd reason, people kept coming here from the same ocean. That's what made this here little town!"

The Straw Hats put on a look of surprise.

"Y…you mean?" Luffy asked.

"Welcome, Straw Hats!" the old man proclaimed. "This is Kansorn Island, where people from the East Blue settle here, together! We also call it 'Little East Blue'!"

The air was soon filled with cheers from the townsfolk.

"I didn't expect to see the rookies of promise from the East Blue here!"

"Mr. Zoro! You're from Frost Moon Village, aren't you? We have a dojo here for who hail from there!"

"A dojo?" Zoro repeated. "Really?"

"And Mr. Sanji! You grew up on the Baratie, right? Try the food at the local Baratie! It's really good!"

"They have a Baratie here?" Sanji questioned in disbelief.

"And you, Straw Hat! You come from Windmill Village, right? Check it out! Windmills as far as the eye can see!"

"I can see that!" Luffy said.

"Uh, excuse me!" Usopp said. "Is there somebody who used to live in Syrup Village?"

"Uh…there is Luigia."

"Luigia?" Usopp repeated.

"Uh-huh. She lives in the most luxurious mansion in town!"

"That's weird," Usopp mumbled. "Kaya lives in a luxurious mansion."

From a distance, Yoko was watching everything, and she couldn't believe her eyes.

Even if these guys were from the East Blue, they were still pirates, and to her, pirates were nothing but pure scum.

She hated scum.

XXX

Back at the _Sunny_…

"Gosh, I hope they're okay," said Chopper, wondering what might've happened to the others.

"Don't worry about it, Chopper," said Nami. "If they need help, they'll call us."

"Do you think we should make a giant insect cage?" Robin asked.

"Hmm, good point," Franky said. "If the beetle does decide to join us, we're gonna need it."

**BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP!** **BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP!** The Transponder Snail started ringing.

"See? It's them!" Nami said before she picked it up.

"**Hello? Nami? Are you there? It's me, Usopp!"**

"Yeah, Usopp, it's me. You guys catch the beetle?"

On the other line, Nami could hear the sounds of people, cheering.

"**Well, no, actually, but…hey, calm the hell down, will ya? Shut it! I got this! Anyhow, you think you could come down here?"**

"What? Why?"

"**It turns out that there's a town on the other side of this island, and…wait, what? Oh! Hang on! Luffy wants to say hi!"**

"**Hi, Nami!"**

"H-hi, Luffy, sweetie!"

"**A lot of people are asking for you, down here!"**

"**Hey! Call her 'Miss' Nami!"**

"What in the world is going on?"

"**Gimme that! Anyway, please, get down here! I'm begging you!"**

"**Bye, Nami! Love you!"**

"No, wait! Luffy! Usopp-"

It was too late. They hung up.

"Well that was weird," Nami said.

"Why would they call for just you?" asked Chopper.

"I don't know," Nami answered, "but I guess I better go down and find out."

With that, Nami got on her _White Rocking Horse I_ and rode the waves to the island, leaving Franky, Chopper, Robin, and Brook to watch the ship.

XXX

Meanwhile, under the water, a periscope was seen emerging from the surface. It belonged to the Amigo Pirates' submarine, and it was Corto who was looking through.

He saw Kansorn Island up ahead.

"Is that it?" Corto asked one of his men.

"Yes, it is. It's rock-bound and there are reefs all around it, so regular ships can't get near it."

"Big deal," Corto said. "Reefs aren't a problem with this sub, right?" He then stood up. "All right, listen up! We're going on a little hunting trip! We're gonna find that big beetle that escaped from Big Boss Shiki's hideout! Let's go, men!"

"YEAH~!" the Amigo Pirates cheered.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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><p><strong><strong>Man, this one was long.

Review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Daisuke © Me

* * *

><p>When we last left our heroes, the Straw Hats had run out of rations, once again. Whilst fishing, they come under attack by a giant beetle named Boss, who takes Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Blizzard to its home island: Kansorn Island, also known as "Little East Blue. There, the pirates are treated as guests of honor, but not everyone is willing to accept their presence: a girl named Yoko, who lost her father to pirates.<p>

However, the Amigo Pirates, by orders of the legendary pirate known as "Shiki", are on course for the island, as well.

XXX

**WHIRRRRRRR!** Nami was riding on the _White Rocking Horse I_, having been asked by Usopp to come to the other side of the island. She had to be careful, though, weaving around the rocky reefs that surrounded the island.

"It's too dangerous to speed up, here," she said to herself.

As she rode through the water, she suddenly heard some voices.

"Okay, ready?"

"Miss Nami~!"

Nami looked up and saw a group of teenage boys calling her over from the shore, and it looked like they came through a tunnel.

"Over here!"

"This way!"

"What in the world?" Nami muttered before she went over to them. Upon getting a closer look, it looked they were wearing buttons…with her tattoo on them.

"I can't believe it! It's her! The real 'Cat Burglar' Nami in the flesh!" said a large boy in a pink No. 14 shirt.

"I know~! She's SUPER cute, even more than in the wanted poster!" wearing a white cap and yellow hoodie shirt.

"Oh! It's a wonderful day to be alive! I can't stop crying!" exclaimed a tearful boy in a turquoise shirt.

"Yeah! Yeah!" said a boy with glasses.

"Uh, excuse me," Nami started, "but who are you boys?"

"Oh, we're so happy you asked! We're the unofficial Miss Nami Fan Club!"

"Known as the Orenami Group!" they declared all together.

"Yes! L!"

"O!"

"V!"

"E!"

"WE LOVE YOU NAMI!"

The boys turned their backs to Nami, revealing the words "LOVE NAMI" on the back of their heads and shirts.

"STOP THAT!" Nami shouted. "THAT'S SO IRRITATING! And besides, I have a boyfriend, already!"

XXX

**ACHOO!**

Luffy suddenly sneezed.

XXX

A moment later, after Nami had given the love-struck boys a beating, she had tied the _White Rocking Horse I_ to a rock.

"Okay," said Nami. "I want you boys to take me to Luffy, already!"

"Yes, ma'am! It's our pleasure, Miss Nami!" the boys exclaimed as they led her through the tunnel.

"Good grief," Nami mumbled. "Can you please stop calling me 'Miss'?"

"Yes, Miss Nami!"

Nami heaved a sigh.

_I wonder how Luffy's doing,_ she thought.

XXX

"Whoo-hoo~! This is fun~!"

Luffy was sitting on the fans of the windmills, having the time of his life. Back at home, he always like riding on the windmills, even though his mother would always tell him it was too dangerous.

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Blizzard all went off on their own to check out the sights.

"You like it up there, boy?" the mayor asked before he took a drag from his pipe and puffed. "Since you're from one Windmill Village, they must be familiar to you!"

"Yeah!" Luffy replied. "Only the ones you've got here are bigger than the ones we've got back at home!"

"Ho-ho-ho!" the mayor laughed. "That windmill is like a symbol of Little East Blue!"

"Hey!" Luffy said. "Is there anything else from my home village that you got?"

"Well, there are a few people here," said the mayor before he turned to a man with tanned skin and light brown hair. He wore a Criminal brand shirt and a pair of denim jeans. Over his right eye was a stitched up scar. "This is Daisuke. He grew up in Windmill Village before he came here, and he's been dying to meet you!"

"Really?" Luffy asked.

"So you're Monkey D. Luffy, huh?" asked Daisuke. "It's true what I heard. You look just like Star."

Luffy gasped.

"Star?" he repeated. "You mean…_Monkey D._ Star?"

"Uh-huh!" Daisuke answered.

Luffy dropped from the windmill to approach Daisuke.

"You knew my Mom?" he asked.

"Oh! So you're her son?" Daisuke exclaimed, smiling. "Yeah, I knew her. She, Makino, and I were friends were growing up!"

"You knew Makino, too?"

"Yep! In fact, I had a crush on her! So tell me, Luffy! How's your Mom doing?"

Luffy felt his smile fade and his heart sink. This man was a friend of his mother's, but it was obvious that he didn't know about her passing.

Well, it looked like now was as good a time as any to tell him.

"Well…she's been better," Luffy muttered.

"Better?" Daisuke repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I'll, uh…" Luffy began, trailing off. "I'll explain it, later."

"Why don't you come over to my place?" asked Daisuke. "I've got homemade rice crackers!"

"Okay," Luffy said.

With that, Daisuke put a hand around Luffy's shoulder and led him to his house.

XXX

"I see…" Daisuke muttered. "So Star's gone, huh?"

"Yeah," Luffy said.

Daisuke brought Luffy to his house so that he could get to know him a bit more. Also, he wanted to hear about how Star had been doing in his absence, but when Luffy told him about her death, the sadness immediately sank in.

"Star sounded like she was a wonderful mother, Luffy," Daisuke said.

"Yeah," Luffy said. "Normally, I don't like talking about her, but…with you, it's different, since you were her friend and all. I felt like…you deserved to know."

"Well, it is very upsetting," Daisuke began, "but hey, it's better than leaving me in the dark, right?"

Luffy nodded and grinned his usual grin.

Daisuke couldn't help but chuckle at him.

_That's definitely like Star,_ he thought. _Even when she's sad, she smiles._

Unbeknownst to either of them, Yoko happened to be nearby, spying on them through the window.

She couldn't believe that Daisuke was having a friendly banter with a pirate!

XXX

Meanwhile, with Zoro…

"Here we are!"

The villagers had brought Zoro to a dojo that looked exactly like the one back at his home village.

"This is the dojo," said one of the villagers.

"Wow," said Zoro as he took a look around.

Everything seemed perfect. They even had the training dummies down, pat!

The dummies…

It was when he saw them that Zoro was reminded of his childhood. On the last night he saw her, when they had that duel and made their promise, Kuina was out here, hitting one of them.

"Ah," Zoro sighed. "Such bad memories."

"All right, students! Lunch break is over! Time for afternoon lessons!"

"Yes, sensei!"

Zoro looked up and saw a group of kids in training uniforms, following a man with a straw sword and a huge, rectangular, scarred chin; their sensei, obviously.

Suddenly, the sensei stopped in his tracks, causing the kids to bump into him and each other.

The sensei then looked and saw Zoro, giving him a blank stare. However, he gasped when he saw his swords.

"EEK!" the sensei yelped. "A…a challenger!" He runs to hide behind his students, who drew their wooden swords at Zoro.

"Hey, now, calm down!" said one of the villagers. "He's no challenger! This here's the real 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro, in the flesh!"

"REALLY?" the children cried before they soon gather around him.

"Wow! So cool! It's really him!" said one of the boy students.

"The real deal!" said another boy.

"He's so dreamy~!" said a girl student.

"Can I touch your swords?"

"Can I feel your hair?"

"Can I have your autograph?" asked the sensei.

_My god…_ Zoro thought in irritation.

Nearby, in the bushes, Yoko was there, spying on the group through her spyglass.

"I don't believe it!" she said, quietly before she ran off.

XXX

On another part of the island, Usopp had been brought to a huge, ritzy mansion that looked just like the one Kaya had back in Syrup Village.

"Wow!" Usopp said. "Sure brings back memories!"

It certainly did. Usopp remembered the times he would go to visit Kaya as she poked out her head out the window just to listen. He even remembered the story of when he fought a giant goldfish when he was five and how he mistook its feces for an island.

"I wonder how she's doing," Usopp said as he entered the grounds of the estate. However, he soon got the shock of his life when he saw that it was just a huge stand-up mansion! "What the hell is this?"

One of the villagers laughed and said, "I heard that Luigia, the woman who lives here, built this in the style of the mansion that she used to live in."

"That's a lie!" Usopp retorted. "It wasn't like this!" He then turned back to the mansion. "But…could it be? If she used to live in the same mansion, then maybe she's one of Kaya's relatives!"

Suddenly, the doors to the mansion opened, leaving Usopp in a frozen state of anticipation.

Once the doors fully opened, he saw…a small figure, sitting in a wheelchair, but whoever it was, the figure had her back turned to Usopp.

"K…Kaya?" Usopp muttered.

However, as the figure turned to face the sniper, Usopp soon saw that it was not Kaya, but a rather elderly woman with lavender hair.

"WHO IS THIS~?" Usopp cried.

XXX

Down at the local Baratie restaurant, Sanji had gone their to see what it was like.

Nonetheless, it appeared to be a rather fancy place, just like the real Baratie.

There, Sanji met one of the cooks in the restaurant. He decided to hang out in the kitchen, just to see how he did things.

"So, you're one of the Straw Hats, aren't you?" asked the cook.

"Yeah," Sanji said. "I'm their personal cook."

"Where'd you first learn how to cook?"

"At a restaurant-at-sea in the East Blue for several years."

The cook gasped. He turned to Sanji, unknowingly still holding the skillet where he was cooking some meat.

"You mean…you're from the REAL Baratie?" he asked, excitedly.

"Uh…yeah," Sanji answered.

"Wow!" the cook said. "This is such a thrill! I fell in love with the great chef Zeff's dishes and I tried to steal some of his ideas by going there whenever it was open!"

"Is that so?" Sanji asked, a bit uneasy since the hot skillet was so close to his face.

A moment later, the two went downstairs. The cook had made a special dish just for Sanji, insisting that he at least try it.

"The building is a bit similar, no?" asked the cook. "I don't really have Zeff's courage, so I couldn't possibly build it out at sea. Still, I wanted a style similar to his." He sat Sanji at a table and set a plate for him. "Here! Please, try it," he said as he poured Sanji a glass of wine.

"Well, I'd like to," Sanji began, "but I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about it!" the cook said. "For you, it's free of charge! Now please, at least have a bite!"

"Really?" Sanji asked. "Well…since you insist." He cut up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. He suddenly put on a look of surprise. "Wait…is this?"

_Flashback_

A young Sanji stood in the kitchen, a notepad and pencil in his hands, as he watched Zeff cooking one of his dishes in a skillet.

He tried to get a closer look, but he couldn't really see.

Zeff turned to look at him, but the moment he did, Sanji pretended that he was just cleaning the kitchen.

Suddenly, Carne entered the kitchen, getting Zeff's attention.

Now was his chance.

Sanji crept over to the skillet. There, he found some sauce that had left behind. He put his finger to the skillet, but he burned a bit since it was still quite hot. Nonetheless, he put his finger to his mouth and took in the delicious flavor.

Zeff seemed to know, for he smiled.

He then ran out and declared. "YES! I DID IT! I FINALLY FOUND OUT HOW THE CRAP GEEZER COOKS HIS DISHES!"

_Flashback end_

"So?" the cook asked. "How is it? Does it taste like Zeff's?"

A pause. Then Sanji raised his glass and took a sip of his wine.

"Yes," he said. "In fact…it's better than the old geezer's!"

"REALLY?" the cook said, tears of joy spilling from his eyes. "Oh, thank you, so much! You have no idea how happy that makes me!"

From a tree branch outside, Yoko was watching through her spyglass.

"Damn," he cursed. "Even the cook seems happy!"

XXX

Back with Usopp, he was currently staring at the old woman who supposedly lived in the mansion.

Luigia, he presumed.

Upon getting a closer look at her, she was about the size of a toddler.

"Wow," Usopp said. "So small."

"You watch your mouth!" Luigia shouted. "So you're from Syrup Village, eh?"

"Yes, I am," Usopp said.

"Then I take it that you're Yasopp's son!"

"You knew my Father?"

"Yes, and he had quite a habit of lying."

"Wow…so Dad was a liar, too. Uh, wait! Is it true that you used to live in the same mansion that was there?"

Luigia suddenly grabbed Usopp by his throat.

"You must know if you really are from there," she said. "This mansion is not only a symbol of Syrup Village, but it's considered a dream home for everyone who lived there!"

"I…I see," Usopp choked.

"I've always wanted to live in a beautiful mansion like that ever since I was little girl," Luigia explained. "I finally made my dream come true after I came here to this island."

"So I take it that you're not related to Kaya, after all," Usopp said.

However, that seemed to make Luigia tighten her hold on his neck.

"Now look here," the old woman said. "Around these parts, I'm known as a cranky old princess, so if you still wanna live, you better keep your mouth shut!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Usopp said.

Up in a tree, Yoko was there, once again, watching Usopp.

"Even the old granny's bonding with these pirates?" she questioned in disbelief.

XXX

Back with Nami…

"Watch your step, Miss Nami!"

"This place seems to go on, forever! It's weird to walk around in!"

Nami was being led by the Orenami Group through winding tunnels of the island's caves.

"These tunnels are a maze, made by nature!" said one of the boys.

"Really?" asked Nami.

"Not just that, but they lead to different parts of the island!" said another boy.

"Well, that's nice and all," Nami said, "but are we there yet?"

"Yes! Almost!"

The place where the boys led Nami really took her by surprise.

It was a stone statue…of the pose she took for her wanted poster…without clothes!

"W…what IS this?" Nami questioned.

"It's the symbol of Orenami!"

"Beautiful, isn't it? Just like you! It was really hard, though, because we only had your wanted poster to get the pose from!"

"I see, but…" Nami stammered, "why…why am I naked?"

"It was decided by consensus!"

"But don't worry! We made sure to get the front, too!"

The boys then burst into laughter.

**BONK! KONK! WHACK! BAP!** Nami laid a hard punch on each of the boy's skulls.

"You guys are nothing but a bunch of perverts!" she growled.

"Sorry…" the boys whimpered.

"Now I know why I'm dating Luffy," Nami said. "At least he doesn't think dirty like these guys."

XXX

**ACHOO!**

Luffy sneezed, again.

"Ah, jeez," he said as he sniffled. "Is somebody talking about me?"

XXX

Meanwhile, in a secret grotto, Yoko had gone to see Boss, but for some reason, she seemed forlorn. Crestfallen, even.

"Oh, Boss," Yoko said as she petted the beetle. "I can't how stupid these people are being! They're letting pirates run around the island that my you and my father have been protecting for so long!" She hid her face in her knees. "I hate pirates. I hate them all!"

Boss stared at little Yoko. Then, without, he started brushing his feelers all around her body.

"Boss!" Yoko laughed. "Stop! It tickles!"

Boss seemed to smile as he tickled Yoko. Hearing her laughter always made him feel so much better.

However, the giant beetle suddenly stopped his gentle assault and looked up, growling. This forced Yoko to do the same.

They saw that it was none other than Blizzard.

Blizzard had separated himself from the others so he could do some exploring of his own when he stumbled upon the grotto. Naturally curious, he took a look inside, and he ended up watching the heartwarming scene between Boss and Yoko.

"It's the pirates' dog!" Yoko exclaimed before she stood up, trying to look fierce. "Get out of here, you damn beast! Now! You're not welcome here!"

Blizzard didn't heed Yoko's warning. Instead, he started to approach them.

Boss, seeing this as a threatening sign, started to growl at the wolf-dog.

(A/N: _""_ means that Blizzard and Boss are speaking.)

"_Back off, pirate!"_ Boss roared.

"_I don't think so,"_ Blizzard said. _"Look, Bugsy. Why don't you simmer down a minute? I'm not here to fight."_

"_Well, I should say so!"_ Boss growled. _"What do you want, anyway? This is grotto belongs to me and Yoko! State your business or get lost!"_

Blizzard started to scratch at a flea in his ear.

"_I just wanna talk,"_ said Blizzard _"That's all."_

"_Talk about what?"_ Boss questioned. _"You pirates are in no position to bargain!"_

"_I'm not here to bargain with you,"_ Blizzard thought. _"Just wanna talk to you. That's all. I promise."_

"_Humph,"_ Boss grunted. _"A pirate making promises? That'll be the day!"_

"_Look, Boss,"_ Blizzard thought. _"I think you should know that Luffy and everyone else, myself, especially…we're not like all those other pirates that you've ever encountered."_

Boss gave Blizzard a skeptical look.

"_I know,"_ Blizzard said. _"You don't have to believe me, but…it's true. We're a lot nicer…and we're actually more friendly and fun than scary. Let me, tell you something. Me and Luffy?"_ He looked to Yoko. _"We're just like you and your friend, Yoko, here."_

"_What's your point?"_ Boss asked.

"_My point is,"_ Blizzard began, _"that you should just give us a chance. That's all."_ His ear suddenly twitched. _"Oh. What do you know? Luffy's calling me."_ He stood up to leave. _"Well, good talking to you, Boss. And don't forget that rematch with Luffy."_

With that, Blizzard ran to head back to Luffy.

"What was that about?" asked a confused Yoko.

Boss just stared after the wolf-dog.

XXX

Meanwhile, out at the coast of the island, a large submarine had just surfaced, and not just any submarine.

It was the Amigo Pirates' vessel.

Largo came out on deck, followed by Corto, followed by the rest of the Amigo Pirates.

"All right, boys!" Corto exclaimed. "Let's take this thing back to the legendary Shiki and become his men! Remember, we're after the giant beetle that escaped from his hideout! Understand? Failure will not be tolerated! Be ready for whatever comes at ya!"

"YES~!" the Amigo Pirates roared.

Suddenly, **FWUMP!** Largo dropped onto his brother's shoulder.

"Oh, right!" Corto said. "Sorry, Big Bro. Since you're the captain, here, you should say something, t- HUH?"

**ZZZZZZZZ!** Largo was snoring. He fell asleep!

"Oh, no. It looks like Captain Largo's in the middle of a _siesta_!"

"Oh, man! It's gonna be a while till he wakes up!"

Corto growled in frustration. He threw his brother off his shoulder, pulling out a hammer as he did.

"Damn you!" he cursed.

"Now, hang on, Sir Corto!" said one of the Amigo Pirates as he held him back. "It's too dangerous! Don't you remember the last time when someone woke Captain Largo from his _siesta_?"

"He's right! Do you have a death wish?"

"Damn it all," Corto cursed. "How could he take a nap at the most crucial moment of the Amigo Pirates?"

**THUD!** He dropped his hammer.

"Well, if you want something done right," Corto started, "you gotta do it yourself! We'll go without him! Ready, boys?"

"YES, SIR!"

XXX

**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!**

Franky had just put the finishing touches on the giant insect cage.

"There we go!" declared Franky. "All finished! A giant, steel cage for that beetle!"

"Amazing!" Brook praised. "And to think, it only took you a minute!"

"Please," Franky said. "For me, this is nothing!"

"You're very versatile, Franky," Robin praised.

"We're ready for that big beetle, anytime at all!" Chopper said.

"Yeah," Franky agreed. "Straw Hat and the others should be back with it anytime!"

XXX

On the contrary, Luffy and the others had just been invited to a banquet, held by the villagers of Little East Blue.

There was chicken, meat, shrimp, lobster, king crab, all made by the cook of the local Baratie!

"WOW!" Luffy and Usopp exclaimed. "AWESOME!"

"This is a welcoming party, just for you," said the mayor before he turned to the cook. "Mitsuboshi, here, was really looking forward to this!"

**GRUUUUUUUMMMBLE!** Luffy's stomach let out a huge roar.

"Oh, man," Luffy said. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!"

_It'd take more than a horse to feed you,_ Blizzard thought. _You'd need, like, two dozen horses!_

"Okay, everybody! Dig in!"

With that, everyone started to eat.

Zoro enjoyed some grog, courtesy of the dojo's sensei.

Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Blizzard were helping themselves to whatever food they could get.

"YUMMY~!" Luffy and Usopp cheered.

Nearby, Yoko was watching the scene unfold.

"I can't believe these people!" she said to herself in disbelief. "Throwing a party for pirates, of all things! Are they idiots?" She then turned to leave. "I'm outta here! I can't watch another second!"

At that moment, Nami and the Orenami Group had arrived.

"Well, here we are!"

"The town square is right here!"

Nami sighed in exasperation and said, "You kept saying we were 'almost' there, but you guys mad me walk for hours!"

"Well, we wanted you to enjoy our island to the fullest extent!"

Just then, Yoko passed by.

The girl looked up to Nami, a glare in her eyes.

"Don't tell me you're a pirate, too," she said.

"Well, yeah," Nami replied.

"Jeez," Yoko said. "Even women are into pirates! What kind of times do we live in?"

Nami gasped silently. She remembered when she met Luffy…and how she used to talk like that.

"Yoko!" shouted the boy in glasses. "How dare you speak to Miss Nami like that? Apologize, right now- OUCH!"

Yoko jumped and bit him on the head before she ran off, into the caves.

"Hey! Wait!" Nami called after her. "Hang on!"

"Please forgive her, Miss Nami," said the boy in the pink shirt. "You see…her father was killed by pirates, and…"

A pause.

"I see," Nami muttered.

**KA-CHAK! BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!** Several rounds from a gun were heard, firing at the citizens of Little East Blue and wrecking the tables that had been set out.

The statue and the windmill…they were both destroyed!

The Straw Hats were forced to look up from the festivities to see what was happening. The only one who didn't seem to take it seriously was Luffy, who was munching on a chicken leg.

It was revealed to be none other than the Amigo Pirates, all armed with guns, and leading the siege was Corto.

"Hello, folks!" Corto said in greeting. "I just need your attention for a moment! That's right! Look at me! We are the Amigo Pirates, and this island is now under attack! If you value your lives…bring us the beetle!"

"Boss?"

"What do they want with Boss?"

"How do they even know about him?"

**Munch! Munch!** Luffy was still eating some meat.

_Is this really a time to be stuffing your face?_ Blizzard thought.

"Maybe you didn't hear me," Corto said before he pulled…maracas. Four in each hand. "Well maybe these will help you understand."

He threw the maracas behind him, and at first, it didn't look like everyone was going to them seriously…but then…

**KABOOM!** The maracas exploded like bombs!

"W-what in the world?" stuttered Nami. "What is this?"

"I don't know!"

All of a sudden, Yoko came running back out.

"No, wait!" Nami called. "Don't go out there!"

Yoko came to a stop, a good distance from the Amigo Pirates.

"W…what's going on?" she gasped.

"I got a tip that the giant beetle is protecting this place!" said Corto. "But I figure that if he has no one or nothing to protect…there's no reason for him to stay, is there?" He snickered, malevolently.

"Oh, no," Yoko muttered. "They're after Boss!"

From where she was standing, Yoko felt Boss, roaring from his grotto, needing to come out.

_No, Boss,_ she thought. _You can't come out! Not now!_

**KLUNK!** A piece of debris fell before the frightened. However, it wasn't just any piece of debris.

It was part of the sign for the Baratie. Mitsuboshi's Baratie!

Mitsuboshi dropped to his knees in horror.

"N…no," he said. "My restaurant!" He looked up at the Amigo Pirates with angry, tearful eyes. With a cry, he grabbed for his skillet and charged at the pirates.

**KABANG!** One of the Amigo Pirates fired a shot at Mitsuboshi, who fell to the ground, clutching his wounded arm.

"Agh!" Mitsuboshi cried.

"Old man!" Sanji cried before he went to help him up to his feet. "Hey! You okay?"

"Y-yeah."

The mayor, unable to see his people harmed, approached the Amigo Pirates.

"I am the mayor of this island," he said.

"That so?" questioned Corto. "Then where's the beetle?"

"I'm sorry," said the mayor, "but you can't have him. Instead, take our money! Take our food! Take everything else on this island, just leave us all be!"

"Oh, believe me, old timer," said Corto. "We intend to do just that. We'll take everything! Your money, your food, and the beetle! Huh?"

By this time, Luffy suddenly walked in between the crowd and the pirates, casually with a big pot belly.

"Whew!" Luffy sighed, nonchalantly patting his tummy like a drum. "Man, I'm stuffed! Couldn't eat another bite!"

"Luffy!" Daisuke called. "What do you think you're doing, boy? Get back here!"

"Who the hell are you?" Corto asked. "What do you think you're doing?"

Luffy turned to face Corto and said, "You, Big Hat. Take your buddies and get outta here!"

"What'd you say?" Corto questioned.

"The beetle isn't interested in joining a pirate crew and he never will be," Luffy said. "So beat it!"

Yoko gasped silently.

"What?" Corto growled. "Join us? You got us wrong, fool!"

**KA-CHAK!** He whipped out his machineguns.

"We're here to capture him!"

**KABANG-BANG-BANG!** He fired several rounds at Luffy, whose body caught the large bullets, causing his back to stretch out, and then, **BOING!** He sent the shots right back at the Amigo Pirates!

"Those won't work on me," said Luffy.

**KRRRACK!** He popped his knuckles.

"I'm a rubber-man!"

"A Devil Fruit user?" Corto said in disbelief.

"Gum-Gum…WHIP!"

**WHAP!** Luffy sent a stretching roundhouse kick to Corto's side, sending him flying a short distance.

"Zoro! Sanji! Blizzard! Go!"

"Right!" Zoro said as he dashed forward, his swords drawn.

"You got it!" Sanji added.

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked.

**POW!** Sanji sent several kicks at the Amigo Pirates. **SLASH!** Zoro cut them. **CHOMP!** Blizzard gave a crushing bite to his foes.

Luffy stood before Corto, his hands on his hips.

"You want some more, Big Hat?" he questioned.

**CHOMP!** Nearby…someone was munching…on a hammer?

"I have a rematch with that beetle tomorrow!" Luffy said. "I'm NOT letting you and your pals ruin it!"

"Mucho NEEDLE NET!"

**SHOOM!** A huge net appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and surrounded Luffy. Not just that…but the net was spiked!

"Yikes!" Luffy yelped.

**WHAP!** The net trapped Luffy, sending him to the ground, and the needles stabbing his skin didn't help matters.

"OUCH!" Luffy cried. "OW, OW, AGH! HELP! GET THIS THING OFF ME!"

"Luffy!" cried Usopp.

Just then, the strumming of a guitar, playing a sad, solemn tune was heard.

It was Largo.

"_Amore_!" he said. "My beloved brother, Corto. What a shame. Rubber-man or not, I will not let you get away with this, _senor_."

"Ha-ha!" Corto laughed. "That's my Big Bro!"

"SHIK-SHIK-SHIK!" Largo laughed/sobbed. "So melancholy."

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "What the hell is this?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>I do apologize for the long wait, everyone.<p>

Review, please!

(P.S.- Happy birthday to me!)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Daisuke © Me

* * *

><p>When we last left the Straw Hats, the town of Little East Blue was being put under siege by the Amigo Pirates, led by Vice-Captain Corto. The Straw Hats immediately go into battle to protect the village and Boss the beetle. However, Luffy soon finds himself in trouble when he is caught in a net of needles by Captain Largo.<p>

But meanwhile, on the _Thousand Sunny_, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook were still waiting for the others to return. To pass time, they decided to play a game of Poker.

So far, Robin had won every game.

"DAMMIT!" Chopper shouted as he threw his cards on the lawn deck and fell backwards. "I CAN'T WIN!"

"It appears you've won, 69 out of 69, Miss Robin," Brook said. "You're so good at this!"

"I don't think it's that easy to make such a huge winning streak," Franky said, narrowing his eyes at Robin, suspiciously.

"What?" Robin asked. "Are you implying that I cheated? Do you have any proof?"

"Well…no," Franky said.

A pause.

Suddenly, **KABOOM!** An explosion was heard.

"Where'd that come from?" Chopper asked, panicked.

"It sounded like it came from the island," Robin answered.

"Do you think that Miss Nami and the others might be all right?" Brook asked.

"They must be having a hard time with that beetle," Franky said. "Looks like we better go over and help 'em!"

"Yes!" Chopper cheered. "Finally!"

XXX

Back in Little East Blue, the villagers, Nami, and Usopp stared on in shock and slight fear. Zoro and Sanji, having already dispatched the Amigo Pirates, looked to Largo and Corto.

"Big Bro?" Zoro repeated.

"You mean those two are brothers?" Sanji questioned.

"Ow! Ouch! Dammit!" Luffy cried as he struggled to get out of pointy net, which stabbed at his skin and was hanging from a tree branch. "Get me outta here! It keeps tangling up on me! Ouch!"

Largo strummed at his guitar.

"There's no point in struggling," he said. "The more you move, the tighter the net gets. How cruel life is to let a young man at your age be put to death like this." He then glared at Corto, who flinched, slightly. "Little brother. You are the Vice-Captain of the Amigo Pirates, am I not wrong? If so…how do you explain such a shameful defeat?"

"I-I'm sorry, Big Bro!" Corto said. "I heard the big beetle was this island's protector, so we came to this village and tried to scare the folks into telling us where it was, but then that rubber kid got in the way!"

"A big beetle, you say?" Largo questioned. "Huh. I thought we were here looking for a stag beetle."

"You hardly pay attention, at all!" Corto exclaimed. "How many times do I have to say it? It's a BEETLE! A HUGE BEETLE!"

Largo turned to the remaining Amigo Pirates, who nodded their heads.

"Oh?" he said. "Hmm. Then maybe that giant beetle that I saw on the way here was the one you're making a fuss about."

"YOU KNEW?" the Amigo Pirates cried.

_Is this guy for real?_ Blizzard thought, sweat-dropping.

Yoko, on the other hand, was busy worrying about Boss. He wanted to come out now, and help the villagers. She could feel it.

_No, Boss,_ Yoko thought. _Whatever you do, don't come here!_

"Where'd you see it, Big Bro?" asked Corto. "Where?"

"Hmm," Largo hummed. "I think it's hiding somewhere behind those trees."

Corto snickered as he prepared to go into the forest surrounding the village.

"Well, then, let's-" he started, but then, Largo held him back.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Largo sucked his teeth and wagged his finger in a scolding manner. "We can catch that damn bug anytime! Instead, let's give these people an ultimatum. Either they hand over the beetle, or face extermination."

"Actually, I wasn't really gonna use that word," Corto mumbled.

"But first," Largo began before he turned to Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard, "we should get rid of these three who have been glaring at us, so rudely."

**Grr~!** Blizzard growled.

Largo put his guitar behind back and said, "You three! How would you all like to die by the power of the Net-Net Fruit, which has a capture rate of 120%?"

_No thanks,_ Blizzard thought. _Not interested. Try again in maybe never!_

**KLINK!** Zoro raised his swords at Largo.

"Now, now," Largo said. "Must this really go violently?" He put his hands together and the pulled them apart, creating a strange, sticky substance between the palms. "Come and get me…swordsman."

_What the hell?_ Blizzard questioned in thought.

**LEAP!** Zoro jumped into the air.

"108 CALIBER PHOENIX!"

**SLASH!** Zoro swung his swords, releasing air-based slash at Largo.

"Damn you!" Corto cursed Zoro. **KA-CHAK!** He brought out his guns and **BLAM!** He fired a round at the slash, stopping it from hitting Largo.

Zoro dropped to the ground, landing on his feet.

"Oh, a flying sword technique!" Largo said. "Now I'm wide awake!" He then threw his hands forward. "Mucho STICKY NET!"

**SHOOM!** A net came shooting out of Largo's hands.

Zoro tried to cut it, but he found that he couldn't.

"Surprised?" Largo asked, mockingly. "Well, I'm just getting started! Mucho Sticky NETWORK!"

**WHAP!** A huge ball of nets wrapped itself around Zoro, but he wasn't let that stop him.

"Tatsu MAKI!"

**WHOOSH!** A whirlwind of slashes tore open the net, freeing Zoro. However, he felt something attach itself to his leg.

"The hell?" Zoro growled. He tried to cut if off, but it only attached to his arm. "Damn it! What is this stuff? It's all sticky!"

"Here, here, and here!" Largo exclaimed as he wrapped the net around Zoro.

**THUD!** The trapped swordsman fell to the ground.

"What the hell is Moss-head doing?" Sanji questioned before he too charged into battle.

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked out, trying to reach a paw out to stop him.

_Wait, Sanji!_ he thought.

"You're next, I see," Largo said as he strummed his guitar. "So tell me, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a cook, you crappy net freak!" Sanji answered him as he charged. "What's it to you?"

"In that case," Largo started, "how about something boiling hot. Corto? If you would."

"Gladly," Corto said as he held up a large kettle of boiling water.

**Glug, glug, glug, glug!** Largo started to drink the water.

"AAAACK!" Largo cried. "IT'S HOT! HOT!"

"Man, you're a moron," Sanji said. "You really think that drinking hot water's gonna help you?"

Largo heaved a sigh.

"That was _mucho caliente_," he said. "Now, let me show you what I can do! BOILING NET!"

**SPLOOSH!** Largo spat out a stream of hot water, which came out in the form of a net.

Sanji, having not seen it coming, quickly got on his hands and started to kick the water net away into mist.

"Bastard," Sanji hissed. "Stop fooling around with these stupid attacks of yours and get serious!" He got to his feet and started to charge, again. "Let my crew go!"

"Ah," Largo sighed. "The kind of friendship you have for on another…it chokes me up. You know you have no chance of winning. Mucho IRON NET!"

**SHINK! SHINK!** Largo sent out an iron cage at Sanji, trapping him inside.

"The hell?" questioned Sanji.

**BANG! BANG!** He tried to kick the cage open, but he couldn't get to budge.

**SHOOOOM!** The cage suddenly shrank, forcing Sanji to crouch down in a rather uncomfortable position.

"Oh, no!" Yoko said.

"Dammit all," Sanji cursed as he and Zoro were hung up in the same tree Luffy was stuck on.

Usopp and Nami stared in disbelief. A single man had captured three of their strongest fighters!

"I can't believe this!" Usopp said. "This guy must be for real!"

Nami stared in worry. Has her beloved captain finally met his match?

Just then, she noticed something.

"Where'd Blizzard go?" she wondered aloud.

Usopp also took a look and saw, to his disbelief, that Blizzard was nowhere to be found!

"Oh, perfect!" Usopp said sarcastically. "Don't tell me that dumb dog chickened out!"

"What did I tell you?" Largo asked the Monster Trio. "What the swordsman got was a basic sticky net, and then there is iron, hot water…and here is fire." He took a torch the Corto was holding and…ate the flame. "AAAGH! HOT, HOT, HOT!" He then regained his composure. "I can turn whatever I ingest into a net and capture something with a success rate of 120%! That is the power of the Net-Net Fruit, you see!" He then whipped out his guitar. "But yet, you still dared to challenge me. It pains me to see someone who does not know their limits. SHIK-SHIK-SHIK-SHIK!" He then turned to Corto. "All right, little brother. Your turn, now. I want to see you do your very worst."

"Right. Leave it to me," Corto said as he turned back to the villagers. "All right, folks! I heard that you lot are from the East Blue! Well, you weaklings had cooperate this time! Give us that beetle!"

Yoko seethed at the luchador pirate. The rest of the villagers also seethed.

**KA-CHAK!** Corto brought his gun, once more.

"I'll pick you all off, one-by-one," he said as he pointed it at the villagers. "If you all value your lives…tell me where he is! Now!"

The students from the local dojo all gasped.

"Don't you dare!" Yoko barked before she grabbed one of the bamboo swords from the students. "Gimme that!" She then stood in front of the Amigo Pirates, pointing the weapon at them.

"No, Yoko!" the mayor cried. "Don't be a fool!"

"If you want Boss," Yoko said, "then you'll have to go through me, first!"

"A Marine coat?" Corto questioned. "What is this? Are the Marines recruiting little brats now?"

"Oh, _senorita_," Largo said as he strummed his guitar. "You, going up against us with just a bamboo sword? Have you gone _loco_?"

"Shut your mouth!" Yoko snapped. "This is all I need…" she charged Largo, "…to beat you guys!"

"No, kid!" Luffy cried. "Stay back! This isn't your fight!"

"Shoot the damn kid," Corto ordered the Amigo Pirates.

"Aye-aye," the Amigo Pirates said as they pointed their rifles at Yoko.

"YOKO!" cried the mayor.

**CLINK-CLINK-CLANK!** Nami put her Perfect Clima-Tact together, prepared to jump out and attack.

Just when the Amigo Pirates were about to press the trigger…

**SMASH!** A nearby tree fell to the ground, catching Yoko's attention.

It was Boss, his exoskeleton glowing red, and atop his head…was Blizzard!

"Boss!" Yoko cried.

**Grr~!** Boss and Blizzard growled.

"So that's must be Big Boss Shiki's beetle," Corto said. "Man, it's huge!"

"And just when things were about to get exciting," said Largo.

The villagers soon started to cheer.

"Here he comes!"

"Go get 'em, Boss!"

"You can do it!"

"Blizzard!" Luffy called to his wolf-dog. "I knew you didn't run away!"

Blizzard smirked and snickered, as if to say, "Of course, I wouldn't!"

"Okay, guys!" Luffy called to them. "GO GET 'EM!"

**ARF!** Blizzard barked in agreement.

**RAAAAAAH!** Boss roared. **BZZZZZZZZZZZ!** His wings hummed as he took to the air, taking Blizzard with him. The moment he was high enough, **WHOOOOSH!** He swooped down at the Amigo Pirates, forcing them all to duck down as he flew overhead. He then made a U-Turn, heading right back for them.

"Shoot it and that mutt down!"

The Amigo Pirates got to their feet, armed themselves with their rifles and opened fire on Boss and Blizzard. However, Boss's skin was too tough for the bullets to penetrate.

_X-FANG!_

**WHOOSH!** Blizzard made an X-shaped, air-compressed bite at the Amigo Pirates, just as Boss swooped down at them, once again.

The air was soon filled with the cheers of the villagers.

"Way to go!" Luffy cheered.

_**ARROOOOOOOO~!**_ Blizzard howled, victoriously.

"Damn," Corto cursed. "Quick, Big Bro! The nets! Bring out the nets!"

"No fun," Largo grumbled. "No fun, at all. I was about to see a _mucho_, _mucho_ beautiful inferno, colored by despair and screams of agony."

"ENOUGH OF THAT!" Corto barked. "GET THE NETS, NOW!"

"That beetle and the dog are so annoying," said Largo. "Don't they realize that they're just a couple of little pests?"

Boss and Blizzard were about to come swooping back down, but then, Largo took in a deep breath.

"_Mucho_ BURNING NET!"

**FWOOSH!** Largo unleashed a huge, net-like flame at Blizzard and Boss, burning them in a huge inferno!

"Oh, no!" Yoko cried.

"SHOOT THEM, NOW!" Corto ordered.

**KABANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!** Corto and the Amigo Pirates opened fire on the two.

Yoko, the townspeople, the mayor, Nami, Usopp, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were forced to watch in horror.

"BLIZZARD~!" Luffy cried.

The Amigo Pirates ceased fire.

Corto gave a malevolent grin.

Boss was floating in air, his skin covered in bruises.

Blizzard, meanwhile, looked like he only had minimal injuries. Still, he was in pain.

As Boss's stopped flapping, he soon plummeted to the ground with a huge **BANG!**

"BOSS~!" Yoko cried as she ran to the beetle's aid.

"Yes!" Corto exclaimed. "We did it!"

The Amigo Pirates cheered.

Blizzard staggered to his paws, his body screaming at him not too move.

"_Hey…Blizzard."_

Blizzard turned to Boss, who gave him a grin.

"_Not bad…for a pirate."_

Blizzard smiled.

"_Yeah. You're not so bad, either…for a beetle."_

"Blizzard!" Nami called. "C'mon! Over here! This way, boy!"

Blizzard limped toward Nami, just when Yoko came to Boss's side.

"Boss," she said as she gently pet the beetle. "Don't worry. You'll be just fine."

The villagers, however, were murmuring amongst themselves.

"I can't believe it."

"Yeah. Boss actually lost!"

Daisuke turned to the mayor.

"Mr. Fabre," he said. "I don't think we have a much of a choice. We have to give Boss up if we wanna save the island!"

The mayor, known as Fabre, just trembled, eyes wide.

"Please, Fabre," said Daisuke. "You're the mayor! You have to do something!"

"But…Yoko…" Fabre stammered as he looked to the young girl, who was still petting Boss.

_Dad,_ thought Yoko. _What should I do? To save the island…_

**Swish! Swish!** Boss suddenly started brushing his feelers on Yoko.

"B-Boss?" Yoko questioned.

Suddenly, Boss started to stand up…and started walking toward the Amigo Pirates.

"W…wait!" called Yoko. "Boss, where are you going?" She started to chase after him. "No, Boss! Stop! It's not what you think!" She then stood in front of him and attempted to force him back, in spite of her tiny frame.

**BZZZZZZ!** Boss's wings started to flap.

_Boss,_ Blizzard thought. _No…you can't!_

"No! Boss!" Yoko cried as she fell to the ground while Boss began to take flight. "Boss, please!"

"Fabre!" Luigia called from Usopp's shoulders. "What the hell is Boss doing?"

Fabre fell to his knees and said, "He heard our thoughts…and, to save us all…he's going to give himself up."

The townsfolk gasped in disbelief.

Their guardian angel was going to leave them just to protect them.

"No," Yoko said, her eyes growing tearful. "BOSS~!"

As she started to chase after him, memories began to show in her mind.

She remembered when she was younger, and that she would ride on Boss's back and say "hello" to the passersby.

She remembered when she would play "Bucking Bronco" with Boss.

She remembered how she and Boss would defend the island together from vicious pirates.

She remembered the day she first painted the Marine insignia on the side of Boss's face.

She remembered how she would go flying on Boss's back…and how both thrilling and terrifying it was.

She remembered how they would always take naps together in their little grotto.

She also remembered the day she met Boss.

She was only about five years old, and she had recently lost her father. She and Fabre ran up the mountain when they heard a huge crash.

What they found was a huge beetle, skin glowing red. The beetle roared at them, telling them not to come near.

But Yoko smiled at him and gently put a hand on his horn.

"It's okay," she said. "Don't be scared. Look at you. You've got all these injuries. Don't you worry. I'll fix you up as good as new."

The beetle soon started to relax, his skin no longer glowing. He then smiled and started to lay down, much to Fabre's surprise.

"Yoko…" Fabre whispered.

"Don't worry," said Yoko. "You can trust me…Boss."

In the present, Yoko tripped on nothing. She looked up, and saw Boss getting closer to the Amigo Pirates.

"No," she whispered, tearfully. "NO~!"

Largo smiled, a hand cupped around his hand.

"Aw…parting is such sweet sorrow," he said. "It is indeed a very hard thing, though. I understand your feelings, _senorita_." He then looked to Boss. "That was a bit too easy, but it's all right, now."

**SHOOM!** Largo formed a huge iron net.

"Now then," he began, "just come in here and make yourself comfortable."

**SHOOP!** A hole formed in the net, large enough for Boss to go through.

Corto laughed as the giant beetle started to slowly enter the net.

"With this huge beetle in our power," said Corto, "we can finally join up with Big Boss Shiki!"

"Hey, beetle!"

Boss looked over to Luffy, who was still trapped in the net of needles. The beetle simply smiled at him, although it was a bit of a sad smile.

He was going to miss the people that he come to protect…and the little girl he had come to love.

"Wait a minute!" Luffy barked, gaining the Amigo Pirates and a tearful Yoko's attention.

**RIIIIP!** He started to tear open a whole in the net.

"I said 'wait', dammit!" he cursed.

**RIIIIIIIP!** He tore open a big whole.

"I SAID 'WAIT', YOU DAMN BEETLE!"

**WROING! POW!** Luffy sent a stretching punch at Boss, sending him flying into the trees behind the village! **BAM!**

The townsfolk all went bug-eyed and gaped in disbelief.

**ROING! SNAP!** Luffy's arm retracted.

"There's no way in hell," he started, "that I'm letting you go with these bastards! You hear me, Big Beetle? You STIL owe me that rematch! We promised, and I KNOW you didn't forget!"

"Pirate guy…" Yoko whispered.

"Are you mad, boy?" Daisuke questioned. "Can't you see that Boss is trying to give himself up so he can save us?"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP!" Luffy barked. "I DON'T CARE! I JUST WANNA FIGHT HIM!"

"THAT'S WHY?" The townsfolk cried.

Nami sighed and put a hand to her forehead.

"Patience, Nami," she said to herself. "He may be a hopeless idiot, but he's still your boyfriend."

Blizzard simply smirked.

_That's my Luffy,_ he thought.

"What about you, little girl?" Luffy asked Yoko as he blew steam out of his nose. "What do you say about that?"

Yoko's tears were cascading down her face. Her nose was runny.

"I want…" she started. "I want…I WANNA BE WITH BOSS, FOREVER~!"

The villagers stared in shock.

It was then that they remembered how much this young child loved Boss so much.

"Yoko…" muttered Daisuke.

"I want…" Yoko cried. "I wanna stay with Boss forever…on this island!"

XXX

From where he was lying under a heap of fallen trees…Boss started to glow, and not the usual red.

This glow…it was golden.

XXX

"I just now realized something," said Luigia. "Boy, let me down."

"Huh?" Usopp muttered. "Uh…okay." He started to let Luigia off her shoulders.

"You're absolutely right," said Fabre as he took a hoe in his hand. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to upset you."

"Before," said Mitsuboshi as he took a ladle and skillet in his hands, "I just thought it'd be better off we gave Boss up to these pirates!"

"I'm so ashamed of myself!" said the dojo's sensei, arming himself with his bamboo sword.

"We love Boss!" Luigia said as she took out a fan.

"As well as this island!" Mitsuboshi added.

"W-w-we won't let…" the sensei stuttered.

"Scum like you…" Daisuke said, armed with a hammer.

"Take him from us!" Fabre finished.

The air was soon filled with roars of agreement from the crowd.

"Man, these people are fools!" Corto said. "They let themselves get sucked into this little brat's sob story! It's like a sappy drama, and it makes me sick!"

"We have no choice, then," Largo said. "It appears they've chosen…extermination. The underdog will always perish. That's the way this world is. SHIK-SHIK!"

Yoko suddenly gasped and looked to the forest.

"Wait," she mumbled. "That's…!"

She headed over to a bright, golden glow in the trees.

"It's…it's Boss!" she said.

"He's shedding his skin, already?" Fabre said.

**KRASH!** Something huge came out from the fallen trees, making a huge roar as it did.

It was Boss, only now, he looked different.

He was even bigger than he was, before, and not just that, but his skin was now a different color; a darker blue instead of brown. His tusk were bigger and longer, too!

"S…so cool…!" Luffy gasped, his eyes going wide.

Boss took the air, soaring overhead of the Amigo Pirates, and heading towards the tree where Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were suspended.

"H-hey, wait!" Luffy cried. "What are you doing?"

Boss's skin started to flash red, and then, **FWOOSH!** Three huge bursts of flames came out of his horn and his tusks, and it was aimed right at the Monster Trio.

"AGH!" the three cried.

"Luffy!" Nami cried.

"Zoro! Sanji!" Usopp shouted.

"Well, what do you know?" Corto questioned. "They're starting to fight amongst each other."

All of a sudden, Boss's skin stopped flashing red, and he seemed to be growing weak. Before long, his wings stopped flapping and he started to plummet to the ground.

"Oh, no, Boss!" Yoko cried as she ran to her friend's aid.

**WOING!** Largo created a huge net, catching Boss in it.

"Boss, are you okay?" Yoko asked.

"Just as I feared," Fabre said. "It was too skin for him to start molting!"

"I'm not sure about the structure of your body," began Largo, "but it appears that this is an 'incomplete' transformation. You must be very disappointed. I feel for you, beetle."

"Scream and cry as much as you people want!" Corto said as he turned to the townspeople. "It won't you help you, now, and it never will, again! Your so-called 'guardian angel' is ours, now!"

"I don't think so."

Largo and Corto turned to see Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, all singed but clearly unharmed.

"We won't let his last move go to waste," Luffy said as he picked up his hat. "Thanks for the help, Big Beetle."

Sanji stood to his feet, putting a cigarette in his mouth, but it immediately turned to ash the moment it touched his lips.

Zoro drew his swords.

Luffy put his hat upon his crown.

"Here we come," he said, "to kick your ass!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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><p>Review, please!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Daisuke © Me

* * *

><p>When we last left the Straw Hats, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji had been captured by the power of Largo's Net-Net Fruit powers. In a last ditch effort to save the island, Boss the beetle attempts to give himself to the Amigo Pirates, but Luffy stops him, saying that they still have a rematch. Boss then sheds his skin and becomes bigger and more powerful. However, he is soon weakened after freeing Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.<p>

And now, the Monster Trio prepare for the final battle.

Sanji lit a cigarette and took a drag.

Zoro tied his bandana around his head.

Luffy set his hat upon his head.

The villagers of Little East Blue stood poised with their makeshift weapons of hoes, pickaxes, hammers, and whatnot.

"Unbelievable," said Corto. "What can three men, an injured mutt, and a bunch of sea weaklings with pathetic weapons possibly do at a time like this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Luffy asked. "We want the beetle!"

"Boss!" the crowd shouted.

"SO GIVE HIM BACK!" they all yelled.

The villagers started to growl, ready to charge in and attack.

"You guys," Yoko whispered.

Corto merely laughed.

"Go ahead!" he said. "Make my day!"

"Zoro," said Luffy. "Cut that net!"

"You got it, Captain," Zoro replied before he dashed towards Boss, his hand on _Wado Ichimonji_.

"Are you really that stupid?" asked Largo. "You know that your sword is not sharp enough to cut through my net."

"We'll just see about that, won't we?" Zoro asked back.

**LEAP!** Zoro jumped up and **SLASH!** He cut the net.

"Lion's Strike," he said.

**SNAP!** The net broke, and Boss was free!

_Way to go, Zoro,_ a smiling Blizzard thought as Nami held him in her arms.

"What?" Corto questioned in disbelief.

"C'mon, everyone!" Daisuke shouted. "We gotta fight, too!"

"YEAH!"

The villagers were just about to charge at the Amigo Pirates, but then, Nami got in their way, still holding Blizzard.

"Hang on!" she said.

Yoko, who was in the midst of the crow, gasped, and Nami looked to her.

"Gear…SECOND!"

Luffy put a fist to the ground, a hand on his knee, and his legs started to pump his blood throughout his body, turning his skin hot pink and steaming.

"Sanji," said Luffy. "Throw me to him!"

"You got it," said Sanji before he dashed forward.

"Get ready, Net Guy," Luffy said.

"Get ready?" questioned Largo. "Why should I?"

Luffy jumped toward Sanji, who held his leg out.

"Armee de L'air Assault! GUM SHOOT!"

**WOOSH!** Sanji threw Luffy towards Largo, who gasped in surprise.

"Gum-Gum JET BULLET!"

**POW!** With a punch that was so fast that it couldn't be seen, Luffy sent Largo flying into the forest.

"I'll leave the rest to you guys!" Luffy called to Zoro and Sanji.

"Got it!" the two answered.

**WROING!** Luffy stretched his arms out and rocketed himself to Largo's location, while Corto just stood in shock.

_Big Bro got himself beaten so easily?_ he thought in disbelief. _No…he just caught off guard, that's all. There's no way in Hell he'd let himself get beaten by a dumb kid! After all…he was noticed by Big Boss Shiki!_

XXX

In the forest, Largo was lying against a tree, his huge _sombrero_ concealing his face.

As he lifted his head, he saw Luffy, sitting in a tree branch, still in Gear Second mode.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Luffy asked. "Maybe I roughed you up, too much."

"Yes…no I remember you," Largo said. "That straw hat of yours…you are the 300,000,000 Berry man, Monkey D. Luffy, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Luffy replied.

"It's rather hard for me to take a young man's life," Largo started, "but the sweet sound of your dying screams will be worth 300,000,000 Berries to me. _Mucho_ BURNING NET!"

**FWOOSH!** Largo breathed out a net of flames at Luffy, who jumped away at last second, and all the flames hit was the tree he was standing on.

Largo looked up, and soon found Luffy up above him.

"Gum-Gum…JET SPEAR!"

**BAM!** Luffy kicked both of his feet down, but Largo jumped away, evading the attack.

"_Mucho_ STICKY NET!'

**SHOOM!** Largo shot out two sticky nets at Luffy, but he was too fast to get caught.

Realizing that he needed to change strategy, Largo made a run for it.

_There's not enough room for me to fight here, _he thought. _That boy truly lives up to his name, using the trees to his advantage like that! I need to get out of here!_

"Dammit," Luffy cursed. "He's getting away, that bastard!"

With that, Luffy gave chase after Largo, creating a few explosions as he attempted to strike him down.

XXX

Back with Zoro and Sanji, the two Straw Hats were preparing to fight, once again.

The villagers, on the other hand, were forced to flee with Nami, Usopp, and Blizzard.

Boss was the only one who remained behind.

"Typical," said Corto. "It's no wonder they call the East Blue the weakest of all the seas. The people from there are nothing but cowards, always running away at the first sign of trouble."

"Not really," Sanji said as he took a drag of his cigarette. "A smart East Blue lady just figured that we alone would be enough to beat the living crap outta you bastards."

XXX

"Hey! Put me down! Why are we running away?"

**WHAP! WHAP!** Luigia, who was being carried by Usopp, piggyback style, smacked her fan against his head.

The villagers were running through the island's tunnels with Nami, Usopp, and Blizzard, who was now being carried by Daisuke since he was getting too heavy for Nami.

"We were just about to get ready to go out there and fight!" Luigia shouted.

"Ah! Stop that!" Usopp cried. "Look, don't be a fool, okay? You can't take them on!"

"He's right," said Nami. "You can only do what you're capable of at times like this, even if it means using brain instead of brawn."

Just then, one person stopped running and looked back to the cave opening.

It was Yoko.

"Hey, little girl!" Nami called. "C'mon! Hurry!"

"Shut up!" Yoko barked. "Don't tell me what to do, pirate!"

A pause.

Nami then approached Yoko, dropped to one knee, and put her hands on Yoko's shoulders.

"Listen to me," she said. "Do you want those pirates take Boss and this island?"

Yoko went wide-eyed.

"If not," Nami began, "then you have to do what I say!"

Another pause. Then, Yoko lowered her head.

"Are you sure…?" she whispered. She then raised her head up, revealing her eyes tearing up. "Are you sure that I'll get Boss back if I go along with your plan?"

Nami nodded, smiling.

Yoko smiled back.

Nami then stood up.

"Okay," said Nami. "You ready to go?"

"Uh-huh!" Yoko answered.

Nami then turned to the crowd of villagers.

"So we're all in agreement, then!" she shouted.

"YES, MA'AM!" the crowd exclaimed before they ran off.

Nami and Yoko stared at each other and nodded.

XXX

**KA-CHAK! KA-CHAK! KA-CHAK!** The Amigo Pirates readied their rifles, preparing to fire.

"You really think you two, alone, are enough for us?" Corto questioned. "What a load of crap!"

"The only they've got going for them is their numbers," said Sanji.

"You want me to protect you or something?" Zoro questioned the cook.

"Hell, no!" Sanji snapped. "You just keep your eye on your own ass!"

Unbeknownst to the Zoro, Sanji, and the Amigo Pirates, Nami, Usopp, Yoko, and all the villagers of Little East Blue had hidden themselves behind the houses and the foliage of the woods surrounding them.

"All right, boys," said Corto. "Let's-"

"ATTACK!" Luigia cried, all of a sudden, taking the Amigo Pirates by surprise.

Suddenly, **WHAP! THWACK!** The Amigo Pirates were being hit in the back of their heads with rocks…by the villagers.

"What the hell?" Corto exclaimed.

"Don't mess with us!" said one of the Amigo Pirates.

**BANG! BANG!** He fired several shots at Daisuke, who ducked down at the last second.

"Ha! The fool!"

**WHACK!** **BAP!** He, along with another one of his cohorts, were soon hit in the head by rocks.

"Get outta here, you filthy pirates!"

"Yeah! Get lost!"

"What in the world are these people doing?" Corto questioned in disbelief.

The Amigo Pirates kept getting taken down, one-by-one, as the villagers kept pelting rocks at them.

Just then, Nami ran out, spinning her Perfect Clima-Tact in her hand.

"Surprised, are we?" she said with a laugh. "The caves are like a maze, and they're all connected to different parts of the island. It'd be a waste to just use them as escapes when pirates like you come around! Everybody, hit the deck!"

The attacking villagers did as Nami had told them and got down as quick as they could, just as a huge storm cloud was beginning to form in the sky.

"Thunderbolt…TEMPO!"

**KRRRZZZZZZTT! ZAP!** A huge thunderbolt came down from the cloud and struck the Amigo Pirates, Corto being the only one who was left unaffected.

"No way…!" Corto gasped as the Amigo Pirates fell.

"All right, everybody!" Luigia shouted. "Now's our chance! Let's go!"

The villagers soon charged out, prepared to fight off the now weakened pirates.

Yoko jumped and bit one of them.

Blizzard followed suit, in spite of his wounds.

Daisuke struck one of the pirates in the head with his hammer.

Fabre smacked another with his hoe.

Mitsuboshi slammed his skillet into a pirate's face.

The dojo sensei struck down another pirate with his bamboo sword.

Just when one of them was about to shoot at Yoko…

"Certain Death EGG STAR!"

**SMACK! SQUISH!** Usopp fired a rotten egg from his Kabuto, covering the pirate with it.

"Nice shot!" Luigia praised. "You really are Yasopp's son!"

"Thanks!" Usopp said, proudly.

"Tatsu MAKI!"

"Collier SHOOT!"

**SLASH! BAM!** Zoro and Sanji took out a fair amount of pirates, all on their own.

Yoko, still biting one pirate's face, looked on in amazement.

_They're so strong!_ she thought.

**RRRAAAAAH!** Boss roared, his strength starting to return.

"_Looks like you're getting a second wind, huh, Boss?"_ Blizzard asked the beetle.

"_You bet I am."_ Boss answered him. _"I'm not outta commission, just yet!"_

"You fools really think you can make a monkey outta me?" Corto growled in anger. "WELL, THINK AGAIN!"

**KA-CHACK!** Corto pulled up his poncho, revealing guns attached to his trousers.

**WHIRRRRRR!** His hat started spinning, around and around, until he started to take flight!

"What the hell is he doing?" Zoro questioned.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Corto roared.

**KABANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!** He started firing his guns at the people, who started to scatter, here and there to avoid getting shot.

Yoko was the only who didn't move…and she was right in Corto's line of fire!

"The girl!" Nami cried.

"Yoko!" Fabre shouted. "RUN!"

**BZZZZZZZZZZZZ!** The humming of wings was heard, and before the bullets could hit Yoko, in came Boss, come to the rescue! The bullets could not penetrate his thick skin, and now that he had regained his strength, he was prepared to fight back, once again!

"Boss!" Yoko cried, joyfully.

**RRAAAAAAAAAARGH!** Boss roared, once again.

"Bastard!" Corto yelled as he fired another round at the gigantic beetle. However, no sooner that he did that he found that he run out of ammunition. "Uh-oh…!"

Boss, his skin flashing red, came closing in, and before Corto could do anything…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

That, and an explosion, was all that could be heard.

XXX

Down at a beach, Luffy and Largo stood, confronting each other, the latter still in Gear Second.

"What have you done?" Largo asked, looking to the mountain that the village was behind. "My beloved little brother. As a requiem for him…" he turned to Luffy, "I will kill you. Here, on this beach, with such an expansive view, you'll find it hard to elude me, I'm sure!"

"That so?" Luffy asked. "Well I'm pretty sure you can't kick my ass!"

"You're very stupid, aren't you?" Largo asked. "Come at me, _senor_!"

Luffy dashed at Largo.

XXX

Around the corner, the _Thousand Sunny_ was sailing towards the island, being sure to avoid the reefs around the shore.

At that moment, Franky spotted something.

"Hey," he said. "What's that over there?"

Chopper, Robin, and Brook gathered at the portside railing and saw Luffy, giving Largo a Gum-Gum Jet Gatling attack…but it didn't seem to be fazing him.

"It's Luffy!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Yes," Brook agreed, "and it appears he's having a scuffle with someone."

XXX

Back on the beach…

"Gum-Gum JET PISTOL!"

**BAM!** Luffy sent a fast punch at Largo, who, surprisingly, withstood the hit.

"No Shock…NET BODY!"

Largo opened his poncho, revealing his entire torso to be one huge net!

"W-what the?" Luffy questioned.

"Surprised?" Largo asked. "Forgive me, _Senor_ Straw Hat, but your attacks will no longer work on me!"

That wasn't going to deter Luffy, one bit. He simply stood back and charged, again.

"Gum-Gum…JET GATLING!"

**BAM-BAM-BAM! TWANG-TWANG-TWANG!** Luffy unleashed a series of rapid-fire punches, but his fists just bounced off of Largo!

"Humph!" Largo scoffed. "Didn't you hear me, just now? How long do you plan to keep this up?"

"Until I BLOW YOU AWAY!" Luffy shouted.

XXX

"Luffy's attacks aren't working," said Chopper as he sat on the _Sunny's_ railing. "That guy must be a Devil Fruit user!"

"That's not good," said Robin.

XXX

Luffy stood before Largo, panting.

"All right," said Largo. "What's say we finish this? This is for my beloved brother! A requiem of his scream of death!"

**LEAP!** He jumped into the air.

"_Mucho-Mucho_…FULLBODY NET!"

**SHOOM!** Largo's body became one giant net!

Before Luffy could react fast enough, **CRASH!** Largo crashed into him.

XXX

"Luffy!" Chopper cried.

"Mister Luffy!" Brook cried.

XXX

Blizzard suddenly looked up.

_Luffy!_ he thought as he started to stagger to his paws.

"Blizzard, no!" Nami said as he forced him back down. "Don't get up! You're still hurt!"

Blizzard growled in frustration.

XXX

Largo stood up, revealing Luffy, now trapped inside his net-like body and struggling to get free.

"SHIK-SHIK-SHIK-SHIK!" Largo laughed/sobbed. "Now, you are in my power. Struggle all you like, but you will never break free of this net!"

**FWEEEET!** He put his index finger and thumb in his mouth and whistled.

**SPLASH!** Something emerged from the water.

"Now what?" Franky questioned.

Taking a closer look, it was revealed to be the Amigo Pirates' submarine.

"Isn't that a submarine?" asked Brook.

"It's being used as a pirate ship?" Chopper questioned.

"Looks that way," Robin chimed in.

"Now," said Largo, "I have a prize worth 300,000,000 Berries!"

"Gear…THIRD!"

Largo looked down and saw Luffy, biting his thumb.

"Bone BALLOON!"

Luffy started to blow air into his bones, causing his arm to grow big. So big, that he started to make Largo's net body grow, too.

"W-what are you doing?" Largo cried. "Stop that!"

The air in Luffy's bone started to shift into his torso, making his stomach expand, bigger, and bigger, and bigger until **SNAP!** Largo's net came apart, and Luffy was freed!

The air in Luffy's torso then went into his right arm, and with a roar, he sent Largo flying back to the submarine.

He wasn't done there, though.

"Gum…GUUUUUUUUM…GIANT PISTOL!"

**SMASH!** Luffy's giant fist slammed into the sub, sending it and Largo under!

Winner: Luffy.

As Luffy's arm retracted, all the air left his body and he soon shrank.

"Oh, crap!" Luffy cursed as he found himself falling towards the ocean.

"Luffy!" Chopper cried.

"Leave it to me!" Brook declared as he jumped into the water.

**SHIF-SHIF-SHIF!** He started running along its surface, his arms open and ready to catch Luffy, but then…

**WHOOOSH!** A giant blur came and snatched Luffy out of the air as he fell.

"Huh?" Brook muttered as he stood on the water. "Oh, dear. It appears I've forgotten I can't swim!"

**SPLASH!** He fell beneath the surface, but then, Boss swooped in caught him at the last second. Also, Blizzard, all bandaged up, was there, too!

"Hey, buddy!" said Luffy, who had grown back to regular size, as he pet his loyal friend.

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked out, happily.

"Oh, that was close," said Brook. "I really thought I was going to die, for a moment, there! Even though I'm already dead. Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!"

Blizzard turned to Boss, smiling.

"_Thanks a lot, Boss!"_ he said to the beetle.

"_Hey, no problem,"_ Boss said. _"After all, if it weren't for you guys, Little East Blue still would've been destroyed!"_

Blizzard smiled.

"_Well, enough of this friendly banter,"_ he said. _"Don't you and Luffy have a little rematch?"_

"_Yeah, don't think I forgot,"_ Boss said.

"Thanks for the help, Big Beetle!" Luffy said.

Boss turned to Luffy and **FWOOOOSH!** He let out a stream of fire from his horn at him.

"OW!" Luffy cried. "Hey watch it! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

**FWOOSH!** Boss breathed fire at him, again.

"YOWCH!" Luffy cried, again. "What's wrong with you? Just a few minutes ago, you couldn't breathe fire!"

**FWOOSH!**

"OUCH! All right, that's it! I'm fighting you here and now!"

"Wait! Let me off, first!" Brook cried.

**FWOOSH!**

"OUCH!"

**YIPE!** Blizzard yowled.

_Oh, COME ON!_

XXX

Later that day, as the sun was beginning to set, Luffy and Boss were having their rematch. So far, it didn't look like either side was going to give up.

"Damn you!" Luffy cursed as he kept striking Boss.

Their audience consisted of Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Blizzard.

"So, uh," Usopp began, "you think they're just gonna keep fighting."

"Dunno," Zoro mumbled.

**YAAAAAAAAAWWWN!** Blizzard let out a lazy yawn.

_Okay, now it's just boring,_ he thought.

"Don't you've won, yet!" Luffy cried. "I'll kick your ass so hard, you won't know up from down"

XXX

In a huge tangerine plantation, Yoko was sitting on a hill, all on her own, watching the fight on the beach from afar.

"Daddy…" she muttered.

"So there you are."

Yoko looked up and saw Nami approaching, a sweet smile on her face.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked as she sat next to the girl.

"What are you doing here?" Yoko asked.

"Well," Nami began, "I heard there was a tangerine plantation here, so I decided to see for myself." She looked out to the beach. "Wow…look at this view."

Yoko sat there, silent. She just went to looking back out to the beach.

"My Dad used to love this place," she said. "And so did I…"

_Flashback_

3 years ago, Yoko was perched on a tall, muscular man's shoulders, looking over the tangerine plantation with him. The man was wearing a Marine uniform, and a coat, signifying that he was of higher rank.

He is Ryuudo, Yoko's beloved father.

"Look, Yoko," said Ryuudo. "This is my favorite place in the entire world."

"Yeah!" Yoko agreed. "I love this place, too! I really, really, REALLY love this place!"

"Is that so?" Ryuudo

XXX

The air was filled with screams of panic.

Houses and fields were set aflame.

The sound of maniacal laughter could be heard.

The village was under attack…by a band of ruthless pirates.

"Burn everything to the ground!"

"Take all their food and treasure!"

"Kill any fools who try and stop us!"

In the midst of the chaos, Ryuudo in a crumpled heap with a cutlass in his back.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Yoko cried. "Get up, Daddy!"

Ryuudo weakly lifted his head to look at his daughter.

"Yoko," he rasped. "Get out of here. Run while you still can!"

"No, Daddy, I can't! Yoko said as her eyes grew teary. "I love this island! I love looking at the view at the beach from the tangerine plantation! You love it too, right, Daddy?" She covered her eyes as she started to sob.

"You're right," said Ryuudo as he gently petted Yoko's hair. "I do love this island." He then took off his cap…and slowly placed it on his daughter's head. "Yoko…this island…protect it."

With that…Ryuudo breathed his last.

"D…Daddy? Daddy? DADDY~!"

_Flashback end_

Yoko clutched at her pants upon remembering that fateful day.

What happened that day was the very reason she started to hate pirates.

Nami simply sighed and said, "You remind of me myself when I was your age. I hated pirates, just like you."

"Then, why'd you become one?" Yoko asked.

"To be honest," Nami began, "I don't really know anymore.

That wasn't entirely true.

Nami remembered the days that she and Nojiko were children, and when they would go outside to the tangerine plantation with Bellemere, and how happy their life was, even if they didn't have very much money.

She remembered…the day when Arlong and his crew, and when Bellemere was shot to death.

She remembered the day she came back to her village, and when Arlong betrayed like he did…and when Luffy and the others came to help, even after all she had done to them.

She remembered when Arlong Park was demolished, and when Luffy rose up from the wreckage just to say these words.

"_NAMI! YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY FRIEND~!"_

And that was moment Nami truly fell in love with her captain.

"Still," she said, "Luffy isn't the kind of pirate that you make him out to be."

Yoko thought about Nami's words.

She remembered when she first attacked Luffy, and how he panicked and ran around in circles when she was biting his head, how he challenged Boss to their current rematch, and how he said that all he wanted to do was fight him.

In the end, Yoko finally realized it.

"Yeah," Yoko agreed. "You're right. He's definitely not like the pirates I've ever seen. He's a big, naïve idiot."

"Yeah," Nami agreed, "but he's my big, naïve idiot…and that's what I love about him." She then looked out to the beach. "Hmm. It's all quiet. Maybe they're done fighting."

"Looks like it," Yoko said before she got up. "I wonder if Boss won."

XXX

Down at the beach, Luffy was lying the sand, panting.

"Well," he said. "What do you say? Give up, yet?"

**RRAAAAAAGH!** Boss roared.

"He said, 'No way, I win'," Chopper translated.

"What?" Luffy asked in disbelief.

**RAAAAAARRGH!** Boss roared, again, attempted to get up, but then…

"Okay, boys! That's enough!"

Nami and Yoko came onto the beach, the former clapping her hands.

"Luffy, it's time to go, honey!" she said.

"What?" Luffy questioned. "But Nami, why? We're not done yet!"

"The log here sets in only half a day," Nami said, "so we'd better go before it sets!"

"Aww, man!" Luffy groaned. "No fair!"

"C'mon, captain," Nami said as she walked up to her captain and cupped his chin with her hand. "I know you wanna stay and play more, but we gotta go. We'll finish this another time, okay? Besides, I bet you're probably hungry after all that fighting."

**GRRRRUUUUUUUMBLE!** Luffy's stomach started rumbling. He blushed as he wrapped his arms around it.

"See?" Nami asked, smiling teasingly.

"Okay, I see your point," Luffy said.

XXX

Moments later, the Straw Hats had re-boarded the _Thousand Sunny_ and were now sailing away.

"Miss Nami~!" The Orenami group called as they waved goodbye.

Luffy, who had a bellyful of meat, sat on the figurehead with Blizzard lying at his side.

"Luffy!"

Luffy looked up and saw Yoko, riding atop Boss's head.

"Thank you, Luffy!" Yoko called. "Thank you for saving this island!"

"Don't mention it!" Luffy called back. "And hey! Big Beetle! I'll be back, someday, and when I come back, we still need to finish what we started! It's a promise!"

"_Boss!"_ Blizzard called. _"Take care of Yoko! She needs you more than you need her!"_

"_I will, Blizzard!"_ Boss called back to the wolf-dog. _"Same thing to you with Luffy, okay?"_

"_Yeah, you bet!"_ Blizzard exclaimed. _"See ya later!"_

With that being said between the two, Boss and Yoko pulled back, letting the Straw Hats continue on with their adventures.

With Largo, Corto, and the Amigo Pirates behind bars, Little East Blue was now at peace, all thanks to a band of pirates.

However, somewhere far away, an even bigger scheme was being plotted and was just about to set in motion.

"I thought they were experts when it came to trapping," said a mysterious figure.

"My lord," said a man. "It appears we've lost contact with the Amigo Pirates."

"It seems as though it was impossible for them to defeat that monster that you've created," the figure said as he turned to another figure holding a vial of greenish-yellow liquid. "No matter. One little escapee doesn't effect the execution of my 20-year plan, at all." He turned to another figure, one that looked like a giant ape, before he turned back to face a huge screen that displayed various creatures.

A huge blue tiger with four legs…

A giant fox with four tails…

A humungous octopus with over 20 limbs…

A flat alligator…

And many more.

"These beasts will help conquer the world, starting with the East Blue! Let's declare war on this world, once again! 'Golden Lion' Shiki's supreme plan shall begin! JIHAHAHAHAHA~!"

**THE END…?**

* * *

><p>Well, that's that!<p>

I'll start up Impel Down tomorrow!


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